Month: November 2015

Thanksgiving is about all the things we are grateful for. Regardless of all other successes, family and especially kids are usually at the top of our lists. It’s amazing how much light and laughter they bring into our lives. I wish everyone to experience this bliss!

If you’re super organized, November is also a great month to do your Christmas shopping with all the wonderful Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. However, my heads starts spinning from all of the choices, especially for kids!

Choosing a gift for a child is never easy! When possible, I prefer educational toys which will engage curious brains, develop their motor skills, and provide hours of fun. Here are a few of my favorite budget-friendly gifts for kids by age groups.

0-2 years old

Infantino Textured Multi Ball Set

Helps develop baby’s tactile senses

6 easy-to-grab textured balls

Great for gross motor skills

ABC Animal Train Bag

Learning ABCs, letters, colors, and animals

Manufacturer replaces lost pieces FREE

Compact, portable, machine-washable

First vTech Toys

Rescue your real tech gadgets by giving him his own set (keys, cell phone, remote control)

Trilingual, English, Spanish and French

4 games modes, lots of fun with lights, sounds, and colors

LeapFrog Shapes And Sharing Picnic Basket

Explore shapes, colors, numbers, and manners

Perfect picnic set for two to teach your child to share

Fun fill-and-spill toy

LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Octopus

Explore cause and effect

Learn numbers and colors along with fun songs

Develops gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination

Fishing in the Tub

Develops hand-eye coordination

Improves gross and fine motor skills

Includes fishing pole with attached plastic rope and hook and 4 foam fish

Thanksgiving should be about family time and not cooking time. I’ve search online for yummy turkey recipes that save time. Here is a recipe that’s delicious and will allow you to spend more precious time with your loved ones.

The trick is to cut the back bone out and lay the turkey flat on the tray. This way it will roast evenly and cook twice as fast. Basic laws of physics save the Thanksgiving dinner! Bon appetit!

Directions: Follow this step-by-step instructions. Allow toddler to measure, pour, mix, and taste all of the ingredients to add some educational value to this already creative process. Don’t worry about any mess; it’s only dirt! But SO much FUN!

Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and softened butter until creamy.

Add eggs and maple syrup (or vanilla and cinnamon).

Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add oats and raisins. Mix well.

Using a spoon, drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Leave plenty of space between drops to avoid cookies sticking to each other.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 1 minute on a cookie sheet. Then transfer to wire rack or plate and let cool completely. Store lightly covered. Enjoy!

This week has brought not one but several deaths in my friends’ families. I can’t stop aching for their losses. And as I pull myself together to comfort them and offer a supporting shoulder, I realize how unfamiliar we all are with the process of grief that has swallowed us all.

This post is dedicated to everyone who has experienced a loss of any kind: loss of job or close relationship, learning of a terminal illness, death of a loved one (human or pet), and even sometimes becoming retired or “empty-nested”.

Dealing with grief is something we all go through at some point in our lives. The five stages of grief were first introduced by a Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying.

Emotions are pretty universal and the following stages of mourning will apply to most. However, don’t judge if others experience grief differently from you. We are all unique and our bereavement will take different lengths in time, as well as have various levels of intensity. Some will wear all emotions on their sleeve, while others will keep everything to themselves. The stages of grief may be experienced out of order, which is mainly given as a guide to help you navigate through the overwhelming emotions.

By acknowledging our grief, taking the time to experience the emotional rollercoaster, and embracing support, we allow ourselves to mourn and eventually heal.

5 Stages of Grief

Denial and Shock

The first reaction to learning of the loss is to deny the reality. This shock is a normal defense mechanism of our body to protect the individual from the intense surge of emotions. This stage may last hours or even weeks. Not to be confused with “lack of caring”, but this shock may be useful for the grieving individual to collect self to take care of the family or make funeral arrangements, for example.

Pain and Anger

As the shock and denial wear off, the overwhelming emotions swallow us whole. The pain may seem unbearable, but it is important to experience it fully, not to hide, avoid or escape it with alcohol or any other substance.

Pain will slowly give way to anger. Anger can be directed at a live or still object. However, it is important to control this anger, as it may cause permanent damage to your relationships with others.

Guilt and Bargaining

At this stage, it is common for the grieving individual to feel guilty of doing or not doing something which could have prevented the loss. It is common to feel helpless, powerless, and abandoned. Asking the question: “Why me?” Or even bargaining in despair with the higher power or God in attempts to regain control: “If only I had another chance…” or “I will stop drinking, if only I could have him back”. People may get stuck on this stage, but it is important to properly resolve it and not interfere with the healing process.

Depression

Just when others may start thinking it’s time to get back to reality, a feeling of loneliness and depression will overtake the grieving person. Signs of depression include sleep and appetite problems, lack of energy, and crying spells. During this time the person realizes the true magnitude of the loss. It is normal and important stage of grief, despite the opinions of others.

Acceptance and Hope

In time, as the grieving person becomes more functional day by day and begins slowly adjusting to and accepting the new reality after the loss, depression will wear off. Acceptance does not mean happiness, but it gives hope to find your way forward, start planning your life, and experience happiness in the future.

Grief Resolving Resources

By yourself: Allow plenty of time to experience all the feelings. Express your feelings to a trusted person, journal, or in a local bereavement groups. Crying is the best natural way to express feelings. Seek professional help if grief becomes too overwhelming.

Goodbaby International Holdings Limited (aka GB) has over 25 years of experience bringing most innovative and safe baby products to the world. This year they even made the Guinness World Records by creating the “world’s smallest folding stroller”! In just 3 simple moves, the stroller folds into a manageable square, which will fit perfectly in any size car, overhead compartment on the plane, or even the smallest of the apartments.